Elastic fluid turbine



Dec., 15, 1936. J. H. DORAN ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Filed Feb. 12, 1935 Il lll ll Ikl LIII Fig. l-

.m .5. w W 5 t0 w n t H .t .A nn I n Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE York Application February 12,1935, SerialNo. 6,198

6 Claims.

' turbine casing to avoid the setting up of undesirable stresses.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved constructionandarrangement of turbines whereby they may expand and contract in axialdirection due to heating and cooling during operation without causinghigh bending and other stresses being set up in the turbine and theelements connected thereto.

I have found that the supports for a turbine should be provided as nearas possible to the center line of the turbine wherever such turbinedrives a propeller through the intermediary of a gearing. As theavailable space in many cases, especially where such turbines arearranged on boats, is very limited the head room required for theturbine should be kept a minimum. This is accomplished'in my inventionby the provision of a turbine casing arranged to form its own supportingstructure. To this end, the side walls of the lower half of the exhaustcasing of such turbine are extended at each end far enough to be clearof the condenser underneath. This permits the provision of supports forthe casing end extensions orprojections without interfering with thecondenser arrangement. The condenser is preferably directly supported bythe exhaust casing.

For a better understanding of what I believe to be novel and myinvention, attention is directed to the following description and theclaims appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawingwhich forms a part of my specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of a turbine arrangementembodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a partof Fig. l and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the turbinecasing in Fig. 1.

The arrangement comprises an elastic fluid turbine having a shaft Iconnected to a gearing 2 for driving a propeller shaft 3. The turbineshown is of-the double flow type having an inlet 4 connected to a weldedhood 5, which latter is flanged to a welded exhaust casing or hood 6.The exhaust casing 6 (Fig. 3) comprises two co-axially extending sidewalls I and 8 respectively and transverse extending front and rear walls9 and Hi respectivelyunited with the side walls by welding to form abox-like structure. Transverse partitions II and I2 united with the sidewalls together with cover plates is and I4 have recesses IE toaccommodate bearings for the turbine shaft I. A condenser IT forcondensing exhaust elastic fluid of the turbine is connected to andsupported by the exhaust casing 6. Both the gearing and the turbine aresupported on a floor l8 which may be a part of the bottom structure of aship. The gearing 2 is rigidly supported on a framework I9 secured tothe bottom it. According to my invention I provide the lower casing halfor exhaust hood 6 with axial extensions or projections 20 and 2|projecting axially beyond the condenser H. The front projection 2|] isrigidly supported on a structure 22 resting on the bottom I8, whereasthe rear casing projection 2|, according to my invention is indirectlyand yieldably supported on the bottom 3. More specifically, the supportfor the rear projection 2| comprises walls, pillars or posts 23 restingon the bottom It. Cross-beams, in the present instance shown as twochannel or U-irons 24 and 25, having their bottom portions adjacent eachother and spaced apart are supported on the posts 23. The channel irons2t and 25 in turn support two angle irons 26 and 2'? having adjacentportions engaging a plate 28. An upper portion of the plate 28 isfastened to the angle irons by means of bolts 29. An end plate 30 forreinforcing the end wall HI of the projection 2| is fastened to a lowerportion of the plate 23 by means of bolts 3|. Thus, the plate 28 runningtransverse to the turbine shaft has a lower portion fastened to theexhaust casing and an upper portion fastened to the supportingstructure. The supporting structure together with the plate 28 which isflexible in axial direction of the turbine, forms in substance a meansfor yieldably supporting the turbine to permit axial expansion andcontraction of the turbine. Transverse movement of the yieldablysupported turbine part, owing, for instance, to rolling of a boat, issubstantially prevented due to the stiffness of the plate 28 intransverse direction.

During operation of the turbine the casing expands in the direction ofthe rear projection 2| because the front projection 20 is rigidlysupported. The flexibility of the supporting structure, in particularthe plate 28, in axial direction of the turbine prevents the setting up55 the gearing.

of stresses in the turbine or in the support by the expansion andcontraction of the turbine casing.

From another viewpoint, my invention comprises two supporting beams Iand 8 extending in axial direction of the turbine with their upper endsat a level near the horizontal plane through the turbine shaft. Thesetwo co-axially extending beams 1 and Bare united by end walls andpartitions 9, i0 and ll, i2 respectively defining a portion of theexhaust casing and projections 28 and 2|. The turbine exhausts into theboxlike structure defined by the walls 1, 8 H and [2. The walls arearranged todirectly support the condenser H. tending axially beyond thecondenser 11 are supported by a rigid support 22 and a flexible support28 respectively, preventing relative movement of one turbine end andpermitting such relative movement of the other turbine end.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. The combination of a turbine having a boxshaped Welded exhaust casingwith axial extensions, means for yieldably supporting the axialextensions to permit expansion and contraction of the casing comprisinga plate running crosswise to the turbine shaft and having a portionfastened to one of the extensions, and means for rigidly supportinganother portion of the plate, said exhaust casing forming a support forthe entire turbine, and a condenser fastened to the exhaust casing.

2. In a ships drive, an elastic fluid turbine having a box-shaped we1dedexhaust casing with axial extensions, a gearing and a propeller shaftdriven from the turbine, means for rigidly supporting the extension ofthe turbine exhaust casing: facing the gearing, and means for yieldablysupporting the extension facing'away'from' 3. In aships drive, anelasticfluid turbine, a gearing and a propeller shaft driven, from theturbine, a condenser connected to and supported by the turbine casing,means, for rigidly supporting a portion'of the turbine casing facing thegearing, and means for yieldablysupporting The projections 23 and 2! exacasing portion facing away from the'gearing, said last named'me'anscomprising two channel irons having bottom portions facing each otherand being spaced apart, angle irons resting on top of the channel ironsand a plate having an upper portion held between the angle irons and alower portion fastened to said portion or the turbine casing facing awayfrom the gearing.

4. The. combination of a turbine with a welded casing comprising a hoodand an exhaust casthe turbine center line, and front and rear walls-extending transverse to the shaft and being welded to the sidewalls toform a box-like structure, a condenser fastened to and supported 'by-alower portion of said structure, the front and rear portions of thestructure extending axially beyond the condenser, means fastened to thefront wall for rigidly supporting the extending front portion, and meansfastened to i the rear wall for yieldably supporting the rear extending.portion to permit expansion and contraction of the casing withoutsetting up undesirable stresses therein.

5. In a double flow turbine, an exhaust casing comprising two coaxiallyextending side walls, transverse extending front and rear walls weldedto the side walls, andpartitions defining bearing supports being weldedto the" side walls, a condenser fastened to the exhaust casing, thecasing projecting axially beyond the condenser to permit supporting ofthe projecting portion without interfering with the condenserarrangement.

6.In' a turbine installation, a turbine, two supporting beams extendingparallel to the turbine shaft and being of a height extendingsubstantially to thelevel "of the turbine center line, walls'uniting thesupporting beams to define at least a part of the turbine exhaustcasing, and a condenser fastened to the beams for receiving exhaustfluid from the exhaust casing, said beams extending axially beyond thecondenser.

JOHN H. DORAN.

